


Mon Cœur S'ouvre à Ta Voix

by opalheart12



Category: Sleepy Hollow (TV)
Genre: Admissions of Love, Date Night, F/M, Feels, Fluff, dressing up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-08
Updated: 2018-09-08
Packaged: 2019-07-08 14:45:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,701
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15932603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/opalheart12/pseuds/opalheart12
Summary: Crane takes Abbie out for his birthday to tell her something that may change their bond forever. Inspired by Mon Cœur S'ouvre à Ta Voix by Elina Garanca.





	Mon Cœur S'ouvre à Ta Voix

Abbie Mills had never been to the opera before. She had never known anyone who’d gone to the opera. She didn’t even know what she was supposed to wear. But when Ichabod somehow managed to find “the most perfect seats” for a show the week of his birthday, he begged her to come with him and she couldn’t dream of declining.

“Nope, not this.” She muttered to herself as she tossed yet another dress into the rapidly forming pile next to her closet. Abbie had been rifling through her closet for nearly half an hour trying to find the perfect dress but was, regrettably, coming up short. She was beginning to get frustrated until she spied a garment bag tucked away at the back of her closet. If she hadn’t been practically emptying the damn thing she might never have noticed it.

There was a note stuck to it written in Jenny’s bubbly hand:

_Abs,_

_Crane told me he invited you to go with him to the opera for his birthday and I had a feeling you wouldn’t have anything suitable for the occasion so I stole something from one of my targets for you! (Don’t worry, they won’t miss it.)_

_Jen_

Abbie frowned slightly as she read the note over again two more times before opening the garment bag. Inside it was the most beautiful amethyst and silver gown Abbie had ever laid eyes on. It looked far more expensive than anything she’d ever owned in her life.

“Wow,” she breathed out as she held it up to her chest. A silver floral headband clinked quietly against the hook of the hanger. Abbie found herself smiling as she envisioned herself in the dress. “I guess this is the one!”

She laid the dress and headband on her bed and went about getting ready. She had about two hours until Crane wanted to leave and she wanted to use it wisely. Abbie allowed herself to soak in the tub with a bathbomb that had practically been collecting dust on her dresser for a few months. When she finished, she braided her hair into a complicated halo and worked the headband on top of that before starting her makeup. She decided on a light shimmery look and finished it off with the new Rihanna lip gloss she’d bought the week before.

“Are you ready yet, Abbie?” Crane’s voice floated up from downstairs as Abbie stepped into her dress.

“Almost!” Abbie adjusted the dress and slipped into a pair of silver heels before going to assess herself in the mirror. She was positively beautiful; even _she_ couldn’t deny that. Abbie reminded herself to send Jenny a text and pictures if she remembered to take them.

Finally, she was ready. For a reason she could not understand, butterflies were going wild in her stomach. As she walked out into the hall and down the stairs she worried she might fall down the stairs from nerves. Crane was facing the hall mirror and adjusting his bowtie when he heard her descent. His eyes went comically large and his mouth opened as if to speak though nothing came out.

“Hey,” Abbie said shyly. “What do you think?” She gestured to her look and turned to the side for him to see. He still looked stunned and she took that as a good sign.

“Miss Mills,” Crane’s ability to speak was eventually restored. “You are magnificent.”

Abbie felt her face grew far too warm and she found herself trying to keep her eyes from taking in just how _magnificent_ Crane looked in his suit. She didn’t miss that his bow tie was a deep shade of lavender with flecks of silver in it. _Jenny, what the hell are you two up to?_

They left and Crane drove them toward their destination. He’d finally gotten his license and decided that meant he was the new designated driver. Abbie was only too happy to relinquish the title to him as she always found herself too tired from work to drive. Crane’s hands twitched on the steering wheel and, if Abbie didn’t know any better, she would suspect he was as nervous as she was. _But why?_

Eventually, they stopped in front of a small courtyard nestled between an Italian restaurant and a flower shop. It was nighttime now, and the area was practically deserted save for the small table in the middle of the courtyard with a bottle of wine in an ice bucket and string lights laid out above. Abbie felt her nerves go into overdrive.

“Uh, Crane?” She looked over to him only to see that he was already out of the car and coming around to her side to open the door. “What is all this?”

He smiled at her. “Something that will, hopefully, be the best birthday gift I’ve ever received.” Crane took her hand, something he never did unless they were running and even then it was rare, and led her into the gated courtyard toward the table.

“I thought we were going to the opera.” Abbie said as she took in the sight of the place. It was one of the most beautiful things she’d ever seen. The space was rather small and intimate if the lighting was anything to go by. There was a cart next to the table, presumably with food on it, and a small wrapped box next to the wine bucket.

“We are,” Crane answered. “But I thought it best we have dinner first.”

He pulled her chair out for her before seating himself and began distributing dinner (orange and rosemary glazed salmon, garlic potatoes, and kale salad) for the two of them. Abbie watched him in awe as she wondered what the hell all this was about. It was _his_ birthday after all.

“What’s going on, Crane?” Abbie asked after the wine was poured. “Why’d you do this?”

Crane finished a bite of his food and took a sip of wine before answering. “There’s something I need to tell you tonight. But it will wait. The moment has to be right.”

Abbie felt flooded with confusion and apprehension. “What does that mean? Are you leaving again? Did you meet someone—“

“No!” Crane’s voice was firm as he took his hand in hers and squeezed it calmingly. “No, Abbie. You’ll see.”

They continued dinner in silence and Abbie ran through a list of possible reason Crane might have organized a romantic ( _not_ romantic, she told herself because that would mean that—-no she couldn’t even hope to think that way) dinner for the two of them. She was drawing blanks but decided to enjoy anyway.

Crane reached to the bottom of the cart and pulled up a portable Bluetooth speaker, the one Abbie had gotten him for his birthday the previous year, before placing it carefully on the table. After scrolling through his phone for a time he appeared to have settled on the song he wanted.

“Lieutenant, would you care to dance with me?”

His electric blue eyes were bright with excitement. Abbie found herself smiling as she nodded and rose to take his hand. The music began playing and Abbie could hear the beginnings of an opera song. She suddenly had a sneaking suspicion that Crane never bought tickets to an opera but rather orchestrated _this_ , whatever it was.

Abbie draped her arms around Crane’s torso as he placed his hands respectfully above her waist. The music was slow and light as they swayed back and forth. She found herself ensnared in his gaze and he looked at her as if she were the only thing in the world worth seeing.

“We aren’t going to the opera, are we?” Abbie asked.

“We’re already here.” Crane replied, a wry smile on his face.

She couldn’t help laughing as she placed her head on his chest. His heart began beating a bit faster and Abbie couldn’t figure out why. They swayed for a bit more, Abbie’s eyes closed contently as they swayed.

“What did you want to tell me?”

Crane’s fingers twitched against her waist and she knew then that he was nervous. She pulled away slightly to look up at him. His reminded her of a dear in headlights. Eventually, he was able to speak.

“Abbie, you’ve been the most important person to me since I woke in the forest that day. You’ve been my guiding light these past years and my rock through all the storms we have weathered. I recognize that I may not have always been that for you when you needed it but I want to be. The bond I have with you, that we have together, is unlike any on the whole of this planet.” His voice started out shaky and grew steadier the more he spoke.

Abbie felt a ball of tension in her stomach and it felt like her body was buzzing madly. She wanted to hope he’d done all this because he felt something _more_ for her, but she couldn’t allow herself to believe it until she heard the words from his mouth.

“I’ll put it plainly: I love you, Grace Abigail Mills. I think I always have but I might have been too terrified to admit it. You are everything to me and, regardless of whether you return my affections or not, I would give my life for yours in a heartbeat if necessary. I will spend the rest of my days ensuring you come to no harm imaginable.”

Conviction dripped from every word and the ball of tension slowly melted, replaced by something warmer. Abbie felt as if everything finally made sense, as if the universe had placed her exactly where she was meant to be. One moment she was looking up into those arresting eyes of his and the next her lips met his.

The kiss was hardly tentative. They’d been tentative around each other for too long now. No, this kiss was heavy with hunger and thirst and need and  _finallythankgodholyshitwhatthefuck_. When they finally pulled apart, Crane held her closer to him and her hands came to rest on either side of his face.

“I love you too, Crane.”

And all felt right in the world.


End file.
